Despite the rally in stocks and other risky assets since March 9, many portfolios are still damaged from the events of the last few years. For those who are retired or near retirement, one step you have to take after such an event is to re-evaluate your...

Paying off the mortgage used to be part of the American dream and a prerequisite to retirement. Then, times changed. Debt management and the use of leverage spread from businesses to personal finance. It was not unusual for people to enter retirement...

Hedge funds used to occupy a small, obscure part of the investment world. They were out of the public eye; few investors even knew about them. Regulators ignored them, as a matter of law. Gradually hedge funds became more prominent. A few of the pioneers...

Pilots have a saying, "Any landing you walk away from is a good landing." Even so, some landings are better than others, and pilots always strive for a smooth touchdown. A type of rough landing is call "porpoising." Instead of gently...

The swift declines in most asset classes in late 2008 and into 2009 damaged many portfolios. For those who are retired or near retirement, one necessary step after such an event is to re-evaluate retirement spending. Specifically you have to check the...

The net worth of Americans is declining. That is no secret, though the extent of the decline will surprise many. The decline has affected and will continue to affect the economy, stock market, and your portfolio. The Federal Reserve gives a picture of...

Last week we discussed how today’s economic distress creates estate planning opportunities. Because of today’s reduced asset values, estate owners can shift assets out of their estates tax at much lower tax cost than they could have a year...

There is at least one silver lining in today's dark clouds—estate planning opportunities are being created. Falling market prices and low interest rates are a great combination for estate planners. If the price depression of the assets is temporary...

Major structural changes have occurred in the economy and markets, and more changes are on the way. The failure of Lehman Brothers was a watershed event. Investors stopped making even routine transactions, bailing out of even money market funds. The effects...

Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA has been a valuable tool to consider since the Roth was created in 1997. There are two reasons why a conversion is worth far more consideration now than in the past . First, a brief review of the basics. A Roth...

Update Dec. 19: On Dec. 11 Congress passed legislation that suspended the required minimum distribution requirement for 2009. But it did not change the requirement for 2008. the IRS was asked by members of Congress to suspend the requirement for 2008...

Come January, Democrats will be in charge all over Washington. They campaigned on a theme of change, and we should expect major changes. The questions are which changes and how will they affect your retirement finances? I will focus on the changes I think...

The current financial crisis and market panic demonstrate why most of the investment plans for those in or near retirement are wrong. There are better ways to manage retirement money, but you will not learn about them from conventional advisors and sources...

Market volatility and uncertainty spur the search for investment alternatives. Index fund investors broke even or lost money the last 10 years, depending on what the markets did in the latest volatile week. The index fund investors did worse than simply...

Even if you do not own a share of their stock or even have a mortgage, the recent events involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will affect your retirement—no matter what your age is. I won’t review all the events regarding the two mortgage...